“I can spend hours painting furniture. I consider it therapy,” says Vickie Meador, a nail tech and the owner of European Body Wraps in Olive Branch, Miss. A little over a year ago, Meador’s husband Greg suggested they rent a booth at an antique mall as something to keep him busy after retirement. “Little did we know we would have so much fun in this business,” she says. In fact, the first booth went so well, they recently opened a second one in a neighboring town.

The couple happily shops estate sales and second-hand stores looking for items to refurbish and resell. “My hubby does all the woodworking and I do all the painting,” says Meador. “Painting calms me and makes me feel creative. I enjoy polishing clients’ nails all day, but with painting furniture you can have downtime. It’s just me and the paintbrush.” Meador also works with gold and silver leaf, stains, and dark wax to highlight the details of a piece. “I also enjoy choosing which fabric I’ll use to reupholster a chair,” she says. “I only upholster the chair seats though, and leave the difficult pieces to the professionals.” Greg is skilled at woodworking. “He can take a piece of furniture that someone would think needs to be thrown away and make it look amazing,” she says.

While Greg’s area of expertise is antique clocks, which he collects, Meador is knowledgeable about vintage items from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. Beyond that, learning about antiques has been a gradual process for both of them.

“Greg and I have been married four years,” she says. “We have found something we like doing together with hopes of bringing us enjoyment and income in our latter years. I love that I get to be creative in both businesses. Whether it’s polishing nails or painting furniture, it’s a wonderful life!”

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